School nurses perform an
incredible variety of
tasks each day. They are members of the school’s administrative team and
often act as advocates for the health and safety needs of children.
They can help a child manage a chronic disease, provide staff training
for emergencies, monitor basic hygiene and infection control, assist
children with special needs, provide assessment and referrals, review
immunization records, administer first aid, dry tears and give hugs.

However, not all Missoula District One or County schools have a nurse in the
building. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends
1 school nurse for every 750 students. Some schools in Missoula
have a ration of 1 nurse per 1000 students.

Health Department school nurse support

The Health
Department is available to school nurses, and to schools without nurses,
for consultation or technical assistance regarding immunization laws,
review of records, or other issues as needed. The Health Dept also advocates on
local, state and national levels for better nurse-to-student staffing ratios.
In addition, the Health
Dept. can provide on-site school nursing services on a
contract basis.

Many schools in the nation do not currently meet the CDC’s goal of 1
nurse to 750 well students, but there is hope ahead. National
legislation has been proposed to address this issue – HR 2730 and S
2750.

A well-fed child is neither hungry nor overweight, and has more energy for learning and activity than a hungry
child. What
a child eats for lunch at school has a profound impact on his or her
academic future.

The
CATCH program (Coordinated Approach to Child
Health) is a cutting-edge program to increase healthy eating
and physical activity in elementary students. It builds an alliance among parents, teachers, child nutrition personnel,
school staff, and community partners to teach children and their
families how to be healthy for a lifetime.